1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake pedal device, particularly to a brake pedal device which hinders a brake pedal from being displaced in a vehicle rearward direction when external force is applied from a front side of a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A hydraulic brake system for a vehicle has been known which generates hydraulic pressure according to operating force on a brake pedal in a hydraulic circuit, provides, the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic circuit to wheel cylinders, and thereby applies braking force to wheels of a vehicle. In such a hydraulic brake system for a vehicle, a brake pedal device configured with a brake pedal and its link mechanism or the like is arranged on a vehicle room side across a dash panel which serves as a partition wall, and hydraulic pressure generation section configured with a brake booster, a master cylinder, and so forth is arranged outside the dash panel. The brake pedal device and the hydraulic pressure generation section are coupled together by a push rod.
If large external force is applied to the vehicle from the front side of the vehicle, for example, if the vehicle receives external force due to a collision or the like, the external force may displace components arranged outside the vehicle room that include the hydraulic pressure generation section and so forth toward the dash panel, resulting in deformation of the dash panel. This may push out the brake pedal device in the vehicle rearward direction. A brake pedal device has been known which includes a structure that hinders the brake pedal device and particularly a brake pedal pad from being displaced in the vehicle rearward direction in the above case. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-233187 (JP 2001-233187 A) discloses a configuration in which when external force is applied from the front side of the vehicle, the brake pedal device itself is allowed to rotate and to bend the push rod to prevent the displacement of the components arranged outside the vehicle room from being transmitted to the brake pedal device without any reduction and a rearward displacement of the brake pedal device is thereby reduced.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-198776 (JP 11-198776 A) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-198778 (JP 11-198778 A) disclose devices in which when external force is applied from the front side of the vehicle, the brake pedal rotates in the vehicle rearward direction to bend the push rod and further displacement of the brake pedal in the vehicle rearward direction is thereby prevented.
However, in the case of the brake pedal device disclosed in JP 2001-233187 A, the brake pedal device is required to be structured to facilitate rotation of the device itself, resulting in difficulty in obtainment of rigidity. This may complicate the structure. In addition, in the structures of JP 11-198776 A and JP 11-198778 A, because the brake pedal is displaced in the vehicle rearward direction, a driver who puts his/her foot on the brake pedal pad may more easily experience awkwardness.